Varèse Sarabande releases Ilan Eshkeri's score for The Exception (limited to a CD run of just 1000 units). A riveting World War II thriller that is filled with espionage and romance in equal measure, the movie follows German soldier Stefan Brandt as he goes on a mission to investigate exiled German Monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Kaiser lives in a secluded mansion in The Netherlands, and as Germany is taking over Holland, the country’s authorities are concerned that Dutch spies may be watching the Kaiser. As Brandt begins to infiltrate the Kaiser’s life in search of clues, he finds himself drawn into an unexpected and passionate romance with Mieke, one of the Kaiser’s maids whom Brandt soon discovers is secretly Jewish...

Ilan Eshkeri delivers an incredibly subtle and very beautiful score for The Exception. The album contains 18 tracks (41 min, 35 sec).

This is one of those scores that you know, almost from the first track, that you're going to love. There are a number of main themes that are woven throughout the album and the more you hear them, and the more you become familiar with them, the more enjoyable the album is.

It's a sad, melancholic album which should touch a part of your soul. Yes, I'm being a little melodramatic, but there are some truly touching moments here and it's hard not to get emotionally involved as Eshkeri weaves his magic.

I know I'm going to get years of listening pleasure out of this one. If you like your soundtracks depressingly beautiful then you'll get a huge buzz out of this one.

9

Darren Rea